Verizon to Publish Report on Government Data Requests

This week, internet service provider Verizon announced that it would be disclosing the number of requests it received to reveal customer data. The biannual report would detail law enforcement requests received for customer internet activity both in the US and abroad.

The first report will detail internet activity investigations in 2013, and is expected to be released by the company in early 2014. Whilst Verizon has made it clear that it does not disclose private information and activity logs to third parties, there are also cases when the service provider has no choice but to do so under law.

Every internet service provider and telecom company in the country is subject to similar standards when information is demanded by law enforcement. According to Verizon, the scope behind this report is to make the requests more transparent. Executive vice president Randal S. Milch spoke on behalf of Verizon, saying: “Although we have a legal obligation to provide customer information to law enforcement in response to lawful demands, we take seriously our duty to provide such information only when authorized by law.”